Daily bus ride is a tonic, says novice passenger

Published: Thu, 2 Nov 2017

Henriëtte Davenport on her way home after a morning shift. From work, she takes the Denneoord bus into town and transfers to the Loerie Park route at the Hub. Meloney Frans (left) is the information officer at the GO GEORGE info kiosk and made sure that Henriëtte knew exactly where and when to get on the bus, and how to transfer to the second leg of her daily journey to work.

Henriëtte Davenport, a carer at a frail care facility in Denneoord, took the call for George residents to use public transport to work seriously and has recently started taking the bus to work, “because it was the right thing to do”. Just how much she would enjoy this daily venture, she had no idea before starting out.

“I have a car, but calculated that it would cost me a lot less to take a GO GEORGE bus to work from where I live in Bergsig,” she says. “I make one transfer – on the same ticket – and therefore need to buy only one multi-journey ticket at R85 for a week’s transport, while I previously had to pay at least R130 per week for fuel. And that does not even include wear
and tear on my vehicle.”

Henriëtte went straight to the GO GEORGE Info Kiosk at the George Transport Hub for information on how to use the bus. “The information officer, Meloney Frans, was so helpful and assisted me to plan my route and a suitable schedule to get to work on time, all from the handy pocket guide which I now carry with me. As it happens, the bus routes suit my needs perfectly, with stops close to my home and my work place. I went back to Meloney for a special thank you after my first day as a passenger – there was no stress, since I was told what to do and what to expect. And to tell you the truth, compared to driving to work on my own, I find the ride and the other passengers a real tonic! For those 30 minutes or so, I become part of a community. Sometimes, I just sit back and listen to them chirping away. It is good for my spirit.”

Anyone needing help or information on how to use the GO GEORGE bus service, is welcome to visit the Info Kiosk at the Hub, or phone the GO GEORGE Call Centre on 0800 044 044.